Cheteshwar Pujara is not someone who speaks without thought. So, when India’s Test specialist throws down a public challenge to Glenn Maxwell, it is bound to raise eyebrows and perhaps, finally, wake the Aussie up. Glenn Maxwell’s numbers are shocking this season.
Bought for INR 4.2 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, Punjab expected that the Aussie would bring in a lot of value to the team, but what they have gotten instead is a shadow of the player who once terrorized bowlers.
Ahead of Punjab Kings’ crucial clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Pujara sent a stern message to Maxwell: “You need to wake up.” And frankly, it is hard to disagree.
Big Show mustered 41 runs in five matches at an average of 8.2. Well, that is not a bad patch, it is a crisis. He has also taken just four wickets in six games, and while his economy of 8.46 is acceptable, Punjab didn’t sign the Aussie to keep things quiet; they signed him to win games.
Why Pujara’s criticism of Maxwell is a wake-up call PBKS can’t ignore
For the record, Maxwell’s IPL struggles are not new. In IPL 2024, he managed just 52 runs in nine matches at a miserable average of 5.77. This is two years of below-par returns from a player once regarded as an X-factor in the shortest format.
What is worrying is that nothing seems to have changed. As Pujara rightly pointed out, “He hasn’t changed the way he has approached the IPL. There have been times when he’s been a little casual. He’s the same as he was, maybe eight to ten years ago. I’m a little critical, but there are times when, as a player, you need to wake up,”
Pujara said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo. “You need to realise you’re getting an opportunity to play and be part of a franchise where things are at stake. And there are times a player can get casual, they’re not worried about what’s happening,” the Indian cricketer added.
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If Maxwell does not start performing soon, the questions around his place in the XI will only grow louder. He has all the tools and ingredients to turn this around and silence the naysayers. What’s missing now is intent and time is running out.
